Fences



Jan. 17, 1967 H. E. SCHUEREN FENCES Filed Oct. 9, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Hmvs E 5CHUEPEN HTTOPNEY HQ'E. SCHUEREN Jan. 17, 1967 FENCES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001:. 9, 1964 H/ws E. 5 CHUEREA/ B $Jf Q TTORNEY Jan. 17, 1967 E. SCHUEREN FENCES s'sheets-sneet 5 Filed Oct. 9, 1964 INVENTOR. Hn/vs E. SCHUE EA/ BY 3 United States Patent M 3,298,668 FENCES Hans E. Schueren, 87 West End Ave., Pompton Plains, NJ. 07444 Filed Oct. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 402,795 2 Claims. (Cl. 256 19) The present invention generally relates to an ornamental block type wall or fence and more particularly a wall or. fence having an end brick post or tier and horizontal courses of longitudinally spaced and interlocking blockswith the space between the blocks being staggered in the superimposed courses thereby forming a wall or fence which is neat and attractive in appearance and still permit easy assembly and orientation in various manners for forming fences or walls of various heights, lengths and angular relation of the segments thereof.

' An object of the present invention is to provide a wall or fence construction having ornamental blocks provided with interfitting matching projections and recesses for enabling the Weight of the blocks themselves to retain the projections engaged with the recesses for interlocking the blocks. This arrangement eliminates the necessity of using cement, mortar or the like to join the blocks.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wall or fence with a brick tier at the end of the wall or fence in which common bricks are used and held in place by cement, mortar or the like.

A further object of this invention is to provide a brick tier in accordance with the preceding object that has a hollow interior having avertical pipe disposed therein and anchored to a bottom slab and a top cap for retaining the top cap in place. v

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel assembly for anchoring the vertical pipe to the top cap for the post or tier in which the anchor means for the top cap is maintained in concealed condition.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the wall or fence constructed in accordance with the invention illustrating the appearance thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the wall taken along reference line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevation with portions thereof broken away to show the details;

FIGURE 4 is a detailed sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along section line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a detailed sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along section line 5-5 of FIGURE 3 illustrating the details of the interlocking blocks;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the tier or post with a number of courses of bricks removed for clarity;

FIGURE 7 is a bottom perspective view of one of the concrete blocks; and

FIGURE 8 is a top perspective view of one of the concrete blocks.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the wall or fence 10 constructed in accordance with this invention includes an end post or tier 1 2 constructed of a plurality of common bricks 14 arranged in a plurality of vertically superimposed courses held in bonded condition by cement, mortar or the like 16. The bricks 14 are arranged in overlapping perpendicular relation with the joints in adjacent rows being staggered as illustrated in FIGURE 6.

The courses of bricks 14 which form the post or tier 12 define a central Opening or passage 18 which receives 3,298,668 Patented Jan. 17, 1967 a pipe 20 having the lower end extending through a concrete slab 22 and the upper end connected to a cap stone 24. The lower end of the pipe 20 has a flange 26 thereon which engages the undersurface of the slab or foot stone 22 thereby anchoring the pipe thereto.

The upper end of the pipe 20 extends into a vertical passage or bore 28 in the cap stone 24 and the pipe terminates below the upper surface of the capstone 24 so that cement 30 or other filler material may fill the upper end of the bore 28 in order to conceal the pipe 20.

The cap stone 24 is also provided with a horizontal passage or bore 32 intersecting the vertical passage 28 which receives an elongated rod or pin 34 which also extends through the upper end of pipe 20 thereby securely locking the cap stone to the pipe 20 and retaining it in place on top of the post or tier 12. As illustrated in FIGURE 3, the rod or pin 34 is shorter than the width of the cap stone 24 thus leaving sockets in the ends of passage 32 which are filled with cement, mortar and the like to retain and conceal the rod 34.

Extending laterally from the post or tier 12 are concrete blocks 36 which are generally rectangular in configuration on each side. The blocks 36 are arranged in vertically stacked horizontal courses with the first blocks in alternate courses being half blocks 38. The blocks in each course are longitudinally spaced as at 40 with the spaces in adjacent courses being staggered or offset as illustrated clearly in FIGURE 3.

The top surface of each block 36 has a pair of rectangular recesses 42 having inwardly converging sides 44 for receiving matching projections 46 on the underside of a superimposed block 36. The projections 46 are generally rectangular and have downwardly converging Walls for telescoping and 'wedging engagement with the upwardly converging walls 44 thereby securely interlocking the blocks in relation to each other. When half blocks 38 are used, they will only have a single projection 46 and a single recess 42.

The wall or fence 10 has a plurality of long slabs or caps 48 engaging the uppermost course of blocks and abutting the post or tier 12 below the cap stone 24. Both the cap stone 2-4 and the caps 48 have a depending lip- 50 that is defined by an inclined inner wall 52 as illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5 for centering the cap stone 24 on the tier 12 and the caps '48 on the blocks 36 and 38.

The blocks 36 and 38 are not cemented or bonded together but depend on their weight and the projections 46 engaged in recesses 42 for maintaining them in locked position. The bricks 14 are bonded together and the pipe 29' serves to retain the post or tier 12 in assembled upright condition. As will be apparent, walls or fences may be easily assembled in accordance with this invention with sections extending perpendicular thereto, if desired. Also, this construction is neat and attractive in appearance as observed in the drawings. If a light fixture is desired on the post 12, the pipe 20 may be left exposed and extended above cap stone 24 for supporting a light fixture or other ornaments.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An ornamental block type fence comprising an upright post constructed from a plurality of courses of bonded bricks with the bricks of each course being arranged in a configuration to define an upright passage in said post, a plurality of superimposed courses of blocks extending laterally from said post, the blocks in each course being solid and spaced from each other with the spaces in adjacent courses being staggered to define an ornamental fence, means releasably retaining the overlapping portions of the solid blocks in locked relation, said means including a pair of depending solid projections on the bottom surface of each block, the top surf-ace of each block having a pair of recesses therein with each recess including a continuous bottom surface, said projections and recesses having downwardly converging wall surfaces for wedging int-erfitting engagement, said projections and recesses together with the weight of the blocks constituting the sole means for retaining the blocks locked together, a plurality of cap slabs mounted on the uppermost course of blocks, each of said slabs having depending peripheral edge lips, said lips having downwardly diverging inner surfaces for retaining the slabs centered on the blocks, a base slab underlying said .post and blocks, an anchor member anchored to said base slab and extending upwardly through the passage in the post, a cap stone on said post, and means anchoring the cap stone to said anchor member for retaining the post assembled in upright condition, said last named means including a vertical passage in the cap stone receiving the upper end of said anchor member, a transverse passage in the cap stone communicating with the vertical passage, and a locking member extending through the transverse passage and said anchor member for locking the cap stone to said anchor member, and cement plugs in each end of the transverse passage and in the upper end of the vertical passage for concealing said anchor and locking members.

2. An ornamental block type fence comprising an upright post constructed from a plurality of courses of bonded bricks with the bricks of each course being arranged in a configuration to define an upright passage in said post, a plurality of superimposed courses of blocks extending laterally from said post, the blocks in each course being solid and spaced from each other with the spaces in adjacent courses staggered to define an ornamental fence, means releasably retaining the overlapping portions of the solid blocks in locked relation, said means including a pair of depending solid projections on the bottom surface of each block, the top surface of each block having a pair of recesses therein with each recess including a continuous bottom surface, said projections and recesses having downwardly converging wall surfaces for wedging interfitting engagement, said projections and recesses together with the weight of the blocks constituting the sole means for retaining the blocks locked together, a plurality of cap slabs mounted on the uppermost course of blocks, each of said slabs having depending peripheral edge lips, said lips having downwardly diverging inner surfaces for retaining the slabs centered on the blocks, a base slab underlying said post and blocks, an anchor member anchored to said base slab and extending upward- 1y through the passage in the post, a cap stone on said post, and means anchoring the cap stone to said anchor member for retaining the post assembled in upright condition, said anchor member being in the form of a pipe, said last named means including a vertical passage in the cap stone receiving the upper end of said pipe, a transverse passage in the cap stone communicating with the vertical passage, and a rod extending through the transverse passage and pipe for locking the cap stone to the pipe, and cement plugs in each end of the transverse passage and in the upper end of the vertical passage for concealing said pipe and rod, said pipe having a laterally extending flange adjacent the bottom end thereof for anchoring said pipe to said base slab.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,066,416 7/1913 Noll 52-102 1,297,960 3/ 1919 Yourtee. 1,416,709 5/1922 Hahn 52--300 X 2,208,589 7/1940 Leemhuis 52--300 X 2,877,989 3/1959 B-rodersen 256-19 3,239,194 3/1966 Pike 25619 FOREIGN PATENTS 588,302 5/1947 Great Britain. 623,677 5/ 1949 Great Britain.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

D. L. TAYLOR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ORNAMENTAL BLOCK TYPE FENCE COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT POST CONSTRUCTED FROM A PLURALITY OF COURSES OF BONDED BRICKS WITH THE BRICKS OF EACH COURSE BEING ARRANGED IN A CONFIGURATION TO DEFINE AN UPRIGHT PASSAGE IN SAID POST, A PLURALITY OF SUPERIMPOSED COURSES OF BLOCKS EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM SAID POST, THE BLOCKS IN EACH COURSE BEING SOLID AND SPACED FROM EACH OTHER WITH THE SPACES IN ADJACENT COURSES BEING STAGGERED TO DEFINE AN ORNAMENTAL FENCE, MEANS RELEASABLY RETAINING THE OVERLAPPING PORTIONS OF THE SOLID BLOCKS IN LOCKED RELATION, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF DEPENDING SOLID PROJECTIONS ON THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF EACH BLOCK, THE TOP SURFACE OF EACH BLOCK HAVING A PAIR OF RECESSES THEREIN WITH EACH RECESS INCLUDING A CONTINUOUS BOTTOM SURFACE, SAID PROJECTIONS AND RECESSES HAVING DOWNWARDLY CONVERGING WALL SURFACES FOR WEDGING INTERFITTING ENGAGEMENT, SAID PROJECTIONS AND RECESSES TOGETHER WITH THE WEIGHT OF TH BLOCKS CONSTITUTING THE SOLE MEANS FOR RETAINING THE BLOCKS LOCKED TOGETHER, A PLURALITY OF CAP SLABS MOUNTED ON THE UPPERMOST COURSE OF BLOCKS, EACH OFF SAID SLABS HAVING DEPENDING PERIPHERAL EDGE LIPS, AND LIPS HAVING DOWNWARDLY DIVERGING INNER SURFACES FOR RETAINING THE SLABS CENTERED ON THE BLOCKS, A BASE SLAB UNDERLYING SAID POST AND BLOCKS, AND ANCHOR MEMBER ANCHORED TO SAID BASE SLAB AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THROUGH THE PASSAGE IN THE POST, A CAP STONE ON SAID POST, AND MEANS ANCHORING THE CAP STONE TO SAID ANCHOR MEMBER FOR RETAINING THE POST ASSEMBLED IN UPRIGHT CONDITION, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS INCLUDING A VERTICAL PASSAGE IN THE CAP STONE RECEIVING THE UPPER END OF SAID ANCHOR MEMBER, A TRANSVERSE PASSAGE IN THE CAP STONE COMMUNICATING WITH THE VERTICAL PASSAGE AND A LOCKING MEMBER EXTENDING THROUGH THE TRANSVERSE PASSAGE AND SAID ANCHOR MEMBER FOR LOCKING THE CAP STONE TO SAID ANCHOR MEMBER, AND CEMENT PLUGS IN EACH END OF THE TRANSVERSE PASSAGE AND IN THE UPPER END OF THE VERTICAL PASSAGE FOR CONCEALING SAID ANCHOR AND LOCKING MEMBERS. 